A Phoenix Song
by holyheadsnitch
Summary: Almost twenty-five years after the end of the Second Wizarding War, Kingsley Shacklebolt's resignation as Ministry for Magic triggers a series of dangerous attacks that will entangle the lives of Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy in the most unexpected ways.
1. Chapter 1 The Explosion

**-Almost twenty-five years after the end of the Second Wizarding War, Kingsley Shacklebolt's resignation as Ministry for Magic triggers a series of dangerous attacks that will entangle the lives of Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy in the most unexpected ways.-**

Although the story that follows features many characters, some places and a few spells of my own invention, I do not own Harry Potter or JK Rowling's wizarding world (if only).

I truly hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoy writing it, and that you feel encouraged to leave a few reviews.

Welcome to (my) Next Generation World.

 **Chapter One**

 **The Explosion**

 _The Daily Prophet. Breaking News._

 _SHACKLEBOLT SAYS GOODBYE_

 _After twenty five years leading the English wizarding world our Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, makes public his decision of not presenting his candidature for this year's elections._

 _As many would recall, Shacklebolt has spent his years in the office leading a massive reform of the Ministry, bringing down the corruption that had felt upon it during the dark times of both the First and Second Wizarding War. He absolutely rebuilt the Defense Department and purged Dementors from Azkaban, as well as overseeing the capture and sentences of Death Eaters and supporters._

 _But despite being a former auror, Shacklebolt never forgot the other departments. He got rid of every pro-pureblood-law that had been developed through the years and helped create the new legislation that guarantees the integration, not only of muggleborn wizards and witches, but also of magical creatures such as werewolves and domestic elves._

 _Many won't be able to recall a time when Kingsley Shacklebolt was not even a member of the Wizengamot, as he was named Caretaker minister for Magic after the Second War had just ended, and was quickly formally elected to the office. But there are still some of us who can still remember our previous Ministers, and who can say from the experience that Shacklebolt will be missed. The three aspirants who have already announced their candidatures have it difficult to live up to this man's legacy._

 _And so we say our farewell to Mr. Shacklebolt: Auror, Head Commander of the Order of The Phoenix during its final year, Order of Merlin First Class and Minister for Magic._

 _The Daily Prophet's redaction wishes him the very best ._

 _We Salute You, Commander._

An article by Mrs. Abigail Fenetre, senior reporter

 _._

 _._

 _._

By the time Kingsley Shacklebolt announced his resignation as Minister for Magic, he had already kept his post longer than any of the previous Ministers ever had. And longer than any of his successors ever would.

It had happened in mid-July, on one of those lazy days when the heat mercilessly struck every corner on the country and nobody seemed to be able to process the astounding news. Therefore, when the Wizengamot set the elections for choosing a new minister at the end of the year, nobody seemed to be ready to pay attention to the possible candidates. But after the shock had worn off, they had started to actively campaign, scheduling public speeches and ridiculously long formal gatherings.

And that's why Rose Weasley currently found herself clad in her best formal robes (that were far too thick for this time of the year), flashed continuously by multiples cameras (that were far too close to her face) and fighting back a sudden urge to banish herself (that was becoming far too appealing).

"Excuse me", a voice ringed clearly from the front of the room, and the cameras stopped working when their owners turned around at once, as they could sense something more interesting to photograph was coming.

"Welcome", the voice continued, and Rose could now see it belonged to a short, balding man, "We'll be starting in a few minutes, but first those members of the press with a pass can come now and take some pictures of the candidates and the former minister".

"Finally" . Rose's brother, Hugo, muttered next to her, reaching to his neck to take off his brand new tie. "I thought I was gonna choke here".

"I'm sure you wouldn't have choked", Freddie Weasley, one of their many cousins, said as he appeared between the crowd. "Don't ask me why, but some people here would have actually cared enough to save you".

"It would have been a way to get out of here", Hugo said, ignoring the jibe and looking around with a bored expression, "I bet they'd send me to Saint Mungo's".

"Want to try it?". Fredie offered, stepping closer.

"Forget it", Hugo stepped back. "Last time you offered to do something for me, I ended up with horns".

"That was an accident", said Freddie, but the corner of his dark eyes cringed like it always did when he was trying not to laugh.

Hugo's ears turned bright red, which Rose took as her sing to take a walk around the hall, preferable as away as possible from the argument that was about to burst between her family members.

Here and there, witches and wizards appeared with bright-colored badges pinned to their robes, supporting one candidate or the other. She passed a group of boys around her age, whose faces she vaguely recognized from school, and one of them (a tall blonde with a crooked nose) nodded at her in acknowledgment.

Rose was just about to dodge a bunch of middle-aged witches, each of them with a toddler in her arms, when she heard her name from behind her.

It was her cousin Albus looking, as per usual, as if his black hair had never confronted a hairbrush in his life. He was accompanied by a young witch dressed in purple robes, that was also smiling at Rose. She was delighted to notice as she came closer, that the girl was Eliza Wood, who had been her roommate for the past six years.

"Hello Rosie" , Eliza beamed at her, pulling her blonde bangs out of her face, "How was your summer?".

"Nice, until this whole thing with the Minister happened". Rose shrugged. "Now I just feel ready to go back to Hogwarts and forget all about speeches and debates".

Eliza wrinkled her nose, "I think it's been the same for a lot of people, though, I mean, half of the school is here".

"It is?", Rose had barely recognized any faces in the crowd. Then again, her whole family was there, and there were so many of them they could be practically considered half of the school already.

"Oh yes, your family. And all of the Bones cousins, of course" . Eliza answered, pointing to the MacMillan's sisters, who were standing close to them with a group of fellow fifth years. "And what feels like the whole Ravenclaw house, which I guess it makes sense because this is kind of their scene. Who else would be at the very front?".

Rose made a face and Eliza stared at her in horror, "Oh God, were you...?"

"No". Rosie quickly assured her, "No, I was not going to the front rows".

Eliza smiled, her cheeks quickly recovering from the soft blush that had spread through them in embarrassment. Rose decided not to mention her mum was, to her dad's chagrin, in the first row. And refusing to move even a step back.

Al groaned, "And the whole bunch of conventional purebloods".

Indeed, as if conjured by the words, Slytherin's prefect Malcolm Travers appeared with a group of wizards and witches amongst the crowd. He was the only one of the group talking, clearly showing off whatever new feature he had acquired over the summer.

Rose rolled her eyes in disgust. Malcolm Travers was one of those guys who walked around like Earth was God's gift to them, as long as they weren't acting as if they were God's gift to the Earth.

"What a waker". Al stated out loud, and nobody disagreed.

"Hope you are not talking about me", someone said from Rose's left, and she found James smirking at them.

Al narrowed his green eyes suspiciously at the sight of his brother, "What are you doing?"

"Nothing". said James, but Rose now noticed that he was panting.

He strolled casually to Al's side, standing behind him as if preparing to use him as a human shield. Rose doubted it would work. Albus and James looked a lot alike, with the same hair and their father's nose, but Al was skinnier and almost a head shorter.

"What did you do?", Rose insisted, glaring at her cousin, who raised his hands in mock surrender.

"I just borrowed Teddy's new broom to get here". And then, as an afterthought, he added, "I might have forgotten to ask him if he was okay with me borrowing it".

"Might have?", repeated Rose, placing her hands on her hips. It was a gesture she was well aware made her look exactly like her mother when she was about to scold Hugo, but she had never been able to stop herself from using it.

Next to her, Albus kept sputtering nonsense about the price of the broom and how Teddy was going to make sure James died a very slow and painful death when he found out.

Eliza Wood looked somewhere between uncomfortable and amused. But the uncomfortable part must have won, because a minute later she carefully cleared her throat.

"I think they are about to start", she said softly, pointing with her chin towards the stage, where the short balding man from before was conjuring chairs for the candidates to sit.

Rose turned around and pretended to listen, while observing the people around them. From a few rows away, her uncle Bill winked at her, he was so tall his scarred face seemed to float above everyone else's.

The first candidate, John Zulligan, took the stage. He worked at the Improper Use of Magic Office, had based his whole campaign on the need for the Statute of Secrecy and the actions to improve it.

Eliza elbowed her softly, "Are you excited about seventh year?".

"I don't know". Rose whispered back, "I've not thought much about it yet, to be honest".

"It's just a week away!", said the other girl, looking confused, "How can you not think about it? You love school more than anyone I know".

"I guess it just makes me sad". It was not entirely untrue, every time she started to think it would be her last year at Hogwarts made her feel frightfully empty.

So she had decided not to think about it.

"Zulligan is over". Al said, turning to face them with a disapproval gaze, "Can you two stop talking?".

Eliza shrugged at Rose, "What can you do?", she mumbled, before mimicking zipping her mouth shut.

Next was Lucian Vaisey, who couldn't care less about the Statute of Secrecy, but had some good ideas to increase the employment. He was still fairly young, and he could have been attractive, if not for the arrogant look always present on his face that reminded Rose greatly of Malcolm Travers.

Vaisey seemed to love hearing himself talk, and Rose could hear Al sighing in annoyance when he took the stage, which made James snort.

The elderly couple standing in front of them, both with pins that read _Vaisey Voter_ on their robes, turned around to send them a very nasty look.

After a couple of minutes, James stepped forward and smiled at them, "Now, I know I am stunningly attractive. But really, there's no need to keep staring at me. I'll be happy to let you have my picture".

Eliza burst out laughing, trying to muffle the sound with her hands as she practically doubled over. The woman, on the other hand, didn't seem to think James was funny, and with a clearly offended huff she grabbed her husband's arm and pulled him with her as she marched through the room.

Between the crowd, Uncle Bill shook his head at them. Trying to compose an innocent expression, Rose took a step back, separating herself from Al and Eliza, who were doing a terrible job at muffling their laughs.

She bumped into someone, and as she turned around she found someone was, in fact, Scorpius Malfoy, a fellow Hogwarts prefect and seventh year. He looked as he always did, tall and slender, with his blond hair slightly disheveled and dressed in dark robes. And yet the sight of him was a shocker.

Everybody knew the Malfoys were almost never seen outside their Manor or Diagon Alley, and absolutely never attended social gatherings such as this one.

"Sorry", she immediately stepped forward again, putting distance between them, but Malfoy didn't seem to notice.

He nodded at her in recognition, stone-faced, and without uttering a single world he turned his head back to the stage. Rosie stared at him a second longer, as if waiting for him to change his mind and actually address her; when it became painfully clear that it was not going to happen, she huffed loudly and turned her back to him.

After a couple of minutes, and amidst loud cheers and applauses, Vaisey ended his speech and Rose Zeller took the stage.

Rose Zeller was the only female candidate. A muggleborn witch in her thirties, she seemed focused on following Shacklebolt's steps, reinforcing the integration laws and talking a lot about finally putting the War behind.

"Regarding those supporters of the Dark Side that are still serving the times in Azkaban", she was saying now, and the whole room seemed to hold their breath at once. It was still a sore subject, as most of the pureblood families had at least one member in prison.

"We want to guarantee their family's absolute freedom, once and for all". Zeller continued, in a determined voice. "Their actions belong to the past, and although they all have to pay for their crimes, committed not only against the wizarding world but against humanity, we believe the new generations should never pay. No more discrimination, or constant vigilance, or unfounded suspicions. We will never forget, but it's time to forgive".

Right then, without warning, a scream broke the crowd's silence. It was not a shout of hurt of terror, but rather a spell, spoken very clearly.

" _Scindo Medium"_

There was nothing about the words that sounded particularly evil. But the tone in which it had been uttered, cold and guttural and filled with pure rage, made Rose let out a cry without even realizing it.

Several people screamed and tried to move away from the source, the very back of the hall where nothing but shadows could be seen.

Scorpius Malfoy appeared once again in her line of sight. There was something off about his expression, something in his eyes that had definitely not been there before; and Rose could have sworn it was panic.

"Take cover! Now!", he said forcefully, as he himself crouched on the ground.

A moment later, she realized why. Because suddenly, the ground started to shake powerfully, and Rose found herself flying across the room, as the world around her imploded in a blast of lighting and smoke and screams.

She could taste blood on her mouth as she hit her head against something, and the witch beside her, who was only a couple of years older than herself, screamed loudly in her ear. Rose followed her gaze, and found the girl's legs had bent on an angle in which legs never should be bent.

For a second, she thought she was going to throw up. But the ground shook once more and she rolled on the floor.

And then, there was only darkness.


	2. Chapter 2 The Alibi

**-Almost twenty-five years after the end of the Second Wizarding War, Kingsley Shacklebolt's resignation as Ministry for Magic triggers a series of dangerous attacks that will entangle the lives of Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy in the most unexpected ways.-**

Although the story that follows features many characters, some places and a few spells of my own invention, I do not own Harry Potter or JK Rowling's wizarding world (if only).

I truly hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoy writing it, and that you feel encouraged to leave a few reviews.

 **CHAPTER TWO.**

 **THE ALIBI**

They made her wait for what seemed like hours, even though she knew it couldn't have been more than minutes.

Rose's body still trembled, shaken by the giant explosion that had, she later would found out, ripped apart the stone floor and walls of the room. Several people had been hurt too, and as someone she could not recall moved her out of the way, she had heard two mediwitches talking about too many broken bones.

Whoever had cast the spell, though, had clearly escaped, she mused as she took a tentative sip of the cup of tea Miss Turpin had placed in her hands at some point, otherwise she would not be seated in the auror's office, waiting to be asked some questions.

Miss Turpin was the Defense Department's secretary. She had been a Ravenclaw and grown up in a town in the middle of nowhere, Wales (her words, not Rose's). She had the ability to shut up morons with a look; and if Rose had had to bet, she would have said that she knew how to maim them too.

Turpin had been the one who had made her sit on one of the office's chairs and explained the aurors wanted to talk to everyone who had not been badly injured, just in case. Rose assumed ' _the aurors'_ to mean ' _your Uncle Harry'_ , and _'to talk'_ to mean ' _to make sure you are okay'._ But as if she could read her thoughts, Miss Turpin had shaken her head slowly.

"You can't be questioned by one of your relatives, Rose", she said, "That's the rule".

But then, she had sent Auror McCallan (who was rumored to be ruthless with all of his cases) away and given her a chocolate frog, like she used to do when Rose was a little girl and her father still worked with Uncle Harry and she waited for him in the hall with all the secretaries.

"Miss Weasley" a new female voice said from behind her "I'm ready for you now".

The voice belonged to Auror Susan Bones, who smiled kindly at Rose when she entered her office and took a sit in front of her. She tried to smile back, but was too nervous to do it properly. That Susan Bones was leading the questioning meant that the aurors had taken out the, as her brother Hugo would call them, big guns.

Bones had been named Deputy Head of the Auror Division as soon as Ron Weasley had left the post, and if Rose _thought_ Miss Turpin knew how to maim someone, she was absolutely sure Susan Circe Bones-Mcmillan (and she only knew her full name because there was a plaque over her desk that read it) _could_ do it in ten seconds flat.

The auror was quite small-sized, and quite pretty, and Rose had the feeling she had been getting this looks during her whole career, the " _you are not a threat"_ and _"don't cry when you break a fingernail"_ and _"Who knows what that bimbo did to get in charge"_ looks _._

Which was pathetic, because Susan Bones was tough as nails. And she may have been called the Deputy Head, but as far as Rosie knew, she ruled the office.

"Miss Weasley, as you might realize you are off-age, so there's no need any kind of parental permission to proceed with the questioning. We request to see your wand, but you have a right to know you are not here as a suspect, but as a witness" she said, voice flat but not unkind, "Shall we proceed?".

Rose, who had been too nervous to listen, blurted out the only thing she was capable of thinking. "Is my family alright?".

"Yes they are", said Auror Bones calmly, "They are considered witnesses, just like you. And none of them were in need to be sent to Saint Mungo's. I believe your cousin Lucy needed to get a broken bone fixed, and so did your Aunt Angelina. They are both perfectly fine".

Rose could feel her whole body relaxing upon hearing the news. Her lungs seemed to remember how to work properly. And so did her brain.

"I'm sorry" she said after a couple of minutes, and she really meant it, "I can't recall anything about the attack. Just that the voice was clearly feminine".

"Nothing unusual?" Auror Bones insisted, "Nothing that got your attention or surprised you?".

 _Malfoy knew what was going to happen before it did._

She tried to dismiss the thought as soon as it came, but, of course, it refused to leave. She knew he couldn't have been the one to use the curse, he had been right behind her and whoever had produced the attack had been a woman. And yet, Scorpius Malfoy had warned her to take cover right before the explosion. Because he had known what the mysterious spell would do.

But still, there was a voice inside her head (that sounded suspiciously like her mum's) telling her that she was being paranoid.

"Miss Weasley?" asked Auror Bones, looking at her suspiciously.

"Nothing" Rose repeated, staring directly at her and keeping her face carefuly blank, "Nothing at all".

For a second, she thought Bones would not believe her, but then she sighed and nodded to the quill on her desk, that promptly wrote Rose's declaration on a piece of official preachment.

"Very well" she said "I believe your family is waiting for you outside now. I need to see your wand, and then you are free to join them".

Rose handed her wand over. It was strange to see another witch holding it.

" _Prior Incantato" ,_ Bones spoke softly, and a soft white light erupted from the wand. Rose had had to use the _Lumos_ spell just that morning, when she had been unable to locate her dress robes inside her closet.

"Last spell produced: Lumos", the older witch said to her quill. To Rose she added, "What is your wand made of?".

"Cedar and dragon's heartstring, fourteen inches", Rose recited like a well-learned lesson.

Auror Bones smiled at her, handing her the wand back and getting her own from her robes.

"I am also a cedar witch myself" she explained with a flourish, "Strength of character and unusual loyalty".

Rose blushed, "So Ollivander says".

"Very well, if you remember anything that might help, even if it's the most ridiculous thing…" a knock on the door interrupted her, and she shot Rose an apology glance, "Come in".

Miss Turpin's head appeared on the doorway, she winked and Rose before addressing her boss with a perfectly professional tone, "Auror Bones, Mr. Weasley is here for Rose".

"Very well", Susan Bones stood up, motioning for Rose todo the same, "I need to speak with him for a second".

When she opened the door, Rose practically threw herself into his father's arms.

Tall and freckled, Ronald Weasley hadn't changed much since the day he had resigned as an Auror, two decades ago. And yet, he couldn't help but realize, as he held his daughter, he was a completely different person.

"Dad" , Rose's voice came out muffled against her father's jersey, and he let her take a step back, "Where's Hugo?, and mum?".

Her dad seemed to have aged in the last two hours, and his eyes kept scanning every corner as if expecting a threat to jump from the shadows. Still, he managed to smile at her, a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, "They are fine. Everything is fine".

Everything was very obviously not fine, but Rose decided to keep her mouth shut, "What about everyone else?".

"Everyone is okay. They had to come back to work. Teddy and Jamie got called in as soon as it happened".

Rose shook her head, "James was not working today".

"He is now. They want everyone from Law Enforcement here, even aurors in training. I left Hugo in The Burrow, Al and Lily are also staying there", he looked at her, "And so are you".

Rose nodded, and she could see her father visibly relaxed. For the first time, he looked past his daughter and addressed the woman standing right behind her, "Susan, glad you are okay".

"You too" Auror Bones answered, straightening her back, an old habit, Rose guessed, from when Ron had been her boss. "I wanted to ask, is your wife working?".

"She's with Harry and the new Hit Wizards' guy", he confirmed. The fact didn't surprise Rose, if anyone was needed at the Ministry today, it was her mum, who had been the Head of the Department of Law Enforcement for eight years.

"That's not good" Auror Bones said, and taking a quick glance at Rose, she dropped her voice, "We needed her here right now".

Rose pretended to be suddenly interested in the wall in front of her, where several faces of well-known criminals stared back at her. Her dad answered in the same quiet tone Bones had used, and if Rose had not been trying so hard to listen, she would have missed it. "What is going on?".

"Everyone agrees it was a woman, because of her voice. Other than that…" , again, the worried glance in Rose's direction. This time, even her father understood.

"Rosie, why don't you…?", he trailed of.

Rose nodded and smiled at them, "I'll go to the bathroom".

Her father sent her a grateful look, and it made her feel almost guilt when she rounded the corner and, instead of keeping walking, crouched down and tried to listen. After all, she reasoned, she had been attacked too, and she had a right to know why.

"We've got nothing other that the curse used was deeply ancient Dark Magic" , Auror Bones' voice barely reached her, "We learned about it in the D.A., back in seventh year, when we were preparing for The War. But we believed it was meant to do a lot more".

"More?" out of the corner of her eye, Rose could see the disbelieving expression on his dad's face, "The explosion sent almost eighty people to the hospital".

"No one died thought. Back then, we were under the impression it was meant to kill, something like the _Sectumsempra"._

Rose felt a pang of terror. The mere thought of Dark Magic made her feel uneasy. Every witch and wizard knew it existed, of course, but her generation had been raised up thinking about it like something distant, belonging to the past and their parents' stories of youth. Never to bee seen again after Voldemort's defeat.

Something you should be afraid of.

Auror Bones continued in a quiet tone, "We are interrogating everyone who might be connected to the dark arts. This is not a curse you can just find without meaning to. It's too ancient. Too powerful to just try it. Not even the Death Eaters used it, and only a couple of extremely old manuscripts mention it".

"Connected to the dark arts?", Rose's dad frowned, a worried look crossing his face.

"Death Eaters relatives", Auror Bones replied bluntly, her own voice sounded troubled, "Everyone of them that attended the meeting".

"And are you really expecting to find something there, Susan?".

She seemed to deflate at the use of her first name, sounding suddenly smaller and younger all at once, "We can't arrest them for more than twelve hours without proof. But they are the main suspects", she replied even more quietly, "That's why I wanted Hermione here, if she clears us out we can move forward to investigate the curse and stop pretending we're getting something out of these people".

Ron sighed, rubbing his temples. "Who are you interrogating?".

"Rookwood's son. The Rosier brothers and their families. Goyle", she paused and made the same face Rose's mum did every time she pronounced the name, "And Malfoy".

"Draco Malfoy was not there" Ron said, with all the authority of someone who had spent most of his life avoiding being in the same room as the other man whenever possible.

"His son was" Bones replied, "He came with some friends, but apparently got bored halfway and wandered off. Nobody can tell where he was when the attack happened, so we can't let him go despite the fact that he's a kid and we know he didn't do it".

Rose felt her stomach clench uncomfortably. There was one person who could give Malfoy a credible alibi, who knew with absolute certainty where he had been when he "wandered off". And that person was her.

She didn't own Malfoy a thing, she pondered. And maybe he had tried to warn her before the explosion, but that only meant a time with the aurors would be good, just in case he could tell them something. Besides, it was not like she could assure he was not involved, she had spent the last six years of her life knowing about, but not actually knowing, him.

Rose sighed in defeat, getting on her feet. She could debate with herself for hours, but in the end she knew what the result would be. She was not able to simply leave and let a boy spent the whole night being interrogated when she could stop it, even if that boy was Scorpius Malfoy.

xxx

The ruckus outside the room caused the auror to sprang to his feet and take his wand out with an astonishing speed for a man so big.

Scorpius' hand itched to do the same, but his wand had been " _withdrawn for safety measures_ ", which was just a fancy way of saying they didn't trust him not to try to hex them all and make a run for it.

The voices got closer, and suddenly the door burst open. Scorpius had been fully expected to be attacked, and, judging by the way he had deflected his wand at the very last second to avoid hitting the person on the doorway with his spell, so had the auror. The bolt of light collided against the wall at the exact same time the man let out a long string of colorful expletives. Scorpius could not have expressed it better. Because standing on the doorway, looking flushed and out of breath, was no other than Rose Granger-Weasley.

"Hi", she said, when it became clear neither of the men in the room were going to talk first.

Scorpius blinked at her, half convinced she wasn't real. When she didn't disappear, he said the only thing that came to his mind, "Hi".

A man and a petite woman appeared on the doorway, both wearing identical disbelieving expressions as they stared at the girl in front of them. The woman, who had the words _Deputy Head of Auror Office_ embroidered on her black tunic, spoke first, "Miss Weasley, this is an investigation on course. No one can enter the interrogatory rooms".

Scorpius got the feeling she wanted to say more, but the man seemed to have recovered from his shock and spoke first, expressing Scorpius' thoughts with alarming accuracy, "Rosie, what the hell are you doing?".

The girl flinched.

Even if Ron Weasley's face didn't appear continuously in the newspapers, Scorpius would have known he was Rose's father.

In addition to his height and the bright blue eyes, he seemed to have passed to her the most Weasley-looking traits. The hair colour (although Rose's curls made hers look even more red), the pale skin completely covered with freckles and even the form of his nose, that somehow looked too long on his face but seemed to agree perfectly with his daughter's features.

"Malfoy was with me when the attack happened", she blurted out "Well, not _with_ me, but by my side. Which I guess is the same really, still an alibi, isn't it?".

While everyone stared at her open-mouthed, Scorpius felt a wave of gratitude and surprise. He had never imagined Rose Weasley, of all people, would stick up for him. Then again, he mused, he didn't know Rose Weasley at all.

It had been his father advice, back when he was standing on Platform 9 and ¾ for the first time, dizzy and suddenly nervous about the way people kept staring in his family's direction, even though he had spent his eleven years of life being stared at.

"If you avoid them" Draco had told him, glancing at the many Weasley-Potter heads above the crowd, "They'll avoid you".

Scorpius' mum had scolded at him, "Don't listen to him, honey, you can talk to them if you want to".

But Scorpius had never wanted to, aside from the few words concerning prefect duties or Quidditch schedules. They were scandalous and overconfident and a bit flippant about everything, he couldn't imagine what he would ever have something to talk about with any of them.

In the interrogatory room, everyone seemed to have gone speechless. Unsurprisingly, the woman was the first to recover.

"That's wonderful" , she said, although the look on the other auror's face indicated it was anything but, "We need you to sign an affidavit, to leave record of Mr. Malfoy's… um, alibi".

Rose Weasley nodded. It looked like she was no longer out of breath, but the blush on the freckled skin of her cheeks remained remarkably red while she looked at every single thing in the room except for Scorpius.

"Uncle Ron?" a voice boomed at that moment from somewhere out of the room (and therefore, out of Scorpius' sight). "What are you doing here?".

The oldest witch frowned, going around the much taller Mr Weasley to speak "Funny, I was actually going to ask you the exact same thing, Ted".

A young wizard appeared on the doorway. He was wearing black auror robes, which clashed horribly with his electric blue hair. He paled a bit at the sight of his boss, but the tone of his voice was still light when he spoke, "Auror Bones, I thought you were interviewing the witnesses".

Auror Bones pursed her lips in a gesture that instantly reminded Scorpius of Professor McGonagall. "We just went through this, you can not interrogate a member of your family":

"I know" answered Teddy Lupin, "But there's no regulation that says I can't be in the room while _somebody else_ interrogates him", to Scorpius, he added, "So here I am".

Scorpius stayed silent. He had known all his life he was related to Lupin, of course, but they had what he would define as an estranged relationship at best.

Their grandmothers had beginning to try to approach each other after the war. Unsurprisingly, in truly Black fashion it had taken them years of awkward encounters and silent companionship; both far too proud and obstinate (not the worst traits they could have inherited, considering how their tirth sister had turned out to be a psychopath).

They had lunch together twice a year, on their respective birthdays, and every christmas Narcissa would buy a present for Andromeda's grandchild, Teddy, the same way Andromeda would send only one present, always addressed to Scorpius.

He had met her a couple of times, and Teddy a couple more because it was easier for them to bump into each other at the three broomsticks or at Diagon Alley. The older boy had been always nice to him during those encounters, but they never really talked much. Ted was usually accompanied by a bunch of friends or his beautiful girlfriend (one of the Weasley cousins despite her blond hair), all of them reluctant to lose their time chatting with a much younger kid.

And yet here he was, not willing to leave Scorpius alone in his assigned cell.

He briefly wondered if it was some kind of surprise-Scorpius-Malfoy day.

Auror bones sighed in defeat, "It won't be necessary Ted. Mr. Malfoy is free to go as soon as Miss Weasley signs her statement".

Teddy Lupin blinked, "Oh".

"Yes, so if you could just accompany her and Mr. Weasley here to Miss Turpin's office, we all will be done here".

"Right. Let's go Rosie".

She followed him without so much as a look in Scorpius' direction. Mr Weasley, however, did gaze at him; not with a particularly nasty glance, but rather a simply curious one. His expression didn't change at all during the seconds he observed him, but Scorpius knew what he was thinking, for it was the same thought everyone had when they looked at him. He looked too much like his father.

Finally, Ronald Weasley stepped out of the room and down the corridor. Auror Bones did the same, motioning for Scorpius to follow her, "Let's get your wand back, shall we?".

He didn't need to be told twice, it had been almost three hours since he had had to give it to the auror in charge of him, (his mind had labeled him as the _large wizard_ , seeing as he had not introduced himself), and Scorpius suspected it was the longest he had been apart from his wand since he had bought it .

"Your parents are waiting for you at the entrance" said the large wizard, surprising Scorpius. For all his size, he had been truly crappy at interrogation, staring silently at him for too long.

"So, can I...go?".

The auror nodded, moving aside and leaving barely enough space between himself and the wall for Scorpius to squeeze in.

He was about to step out of the offices when a streak of red caught his attention. Rose Weasley stood with his back to him, and her scarlet hair, all over the place, looked for a moment like the only spot of color in the room.

"Weasley" he called, and she turned to face him from the end of the corridor, "Thanks".

She sent him a small, hesitant smile.

A second later Scorpius was surprised to realize he was smiling back.

xxx

In her small cubicle on St. Mungo's Hospital's fourth floor, Victoire Weasley looked at the clock on the wall for what had to be the third time in ten minutes and scowlded.

After the attack at the ministry, she had been to busy to think about anything that wasn't treating the overgrowing number of patients starting to appear on the beds she was in charge of.

The floor had filled quickly than she had ever seen, and as she rushed from one person to another she was relieved to see most of them were not in immediate danger, but simply nervous and terribly scared. Everyone had been stabilized without complications in a couple of hours.

However, as her work lessened her mind started to focus on other things. Like worrying about her family and friends.

Her parents had sent her an owl sometime in the middle of the first and second wave of patients informing her everyone was okay and they had managed to get out of the Ministry without a scratch.

A bit later, Aunt Angelina had appeared accompanied by a mediwitch and a pale Uncle George. One of Vee's colleagues had just fixed her broken arm, but George insisted they would not leave until Victoire checked it had been properly done. Her aunt looked tired and a bit shaken, but her humerus was in perfect condition so Vee had cleared her out and given Uncle George a calming potion.

And then she had waited. And waited. But there was no word from her best friend, or Teddy. And as enough time passed for her to realize if something had happened to them someone would have called her already (she was their emergency contact after all), worry slowly cleared the path for anger.

She was seriously contemplating appearing on the Auror Department to kill Ted herself the minute she laid eyes on him when a young girl appeared at the door. She vaguely recognized her as one of the second year healers trainees.

"Sorry, Miss Weasley, you're are needed in room 401".

Vee was instantly on her feet, tying her too long blond hair in a tight knot as she practically run across the halls, girl in tow, it was a feat she had perfected with years of practice.

"Who is attending?" she asked without stopping, and the girl blinked at her with a startled expression that made her sigh inpatiently, "Who told you to get me?".

"Oh. Healer Jones, it was… He's in charge of the patient".

Vee picked up her speed even more, hearing the girl pant behind her. She knew she was being slightly rude, still remembered how lost she had been as a trainee, but at the moment she couldn't bring herself to care. Jones was the Healer in Charge of the Spell Damage floor, so him needing help meant something had gone very wrong with the patient.

Room 401 was the furthest from the door and the smallest, usually reserved for contagious cases that could not share a room with anyone else. When Vee opened the door, she was glad to see Healer Jones was not wearing a mask or gloves but simply standing in his robes with a wand pointed to the bed.

"Weasley" the older wizard barked as he cleaned the sweat from his forehead with ¡the back of his hand, "I need you here".

Victoire had her wand already out, "What's happening?".

As she approached the bed, he couldn't conceal a gasp. The person lying there was a young woman, not much older than herself, with short brown hair and a round face Vee had seen so many times in flyers and the papers during the last month she would have recognized it anywhere. Rose Zeller.

Next to her, Healer Jones grunted loudly, "She's bleeding like mad. I suspect damage of femoral artery".

That explained the effort it took him to maintain the spell, he was probably holding back the hemorrhage and replacing the witch's blood at the same time.

"You want me to close the wound?".

He let out a humorless laugh. "First, I want you to re-build her fucking leg. None of the trainees know how to do it".

Vee touched the bloody right leg placed over the covers carefully. Her had sunk down.

Victoire blinked incredulously. She had treated and incredibly high number of broken bones today, but Rose Zeller's were…

"Not completely gone", Jones grunted reading her thoughts. "They are still there".

"What?".

"We run a test, the remains of the bones are there still, so no re-growing them" he winced at the thought, "They were crushed to practically dust. No wonder she lost consciousness".

In her six years working as a healer, Vee had never felt the urge to vomit at the thought of a wound, but upon realizing what had happened to the witch on the bed she felt slightly dizzy.

Jones practically barked with rage, "Weasley! No fainting in my room!". It was a phrase he had often repeated at her colleagues when they had been under his mentorship. "I need you to repair the bones while I take care of the damned bleeding".

Victoire immediately snapped to action.

Later, when Rose Zeller had been taken care of and properly cleaned up and bandaged, she approached Jones's office.

He sighed, offering her a cup of tea before speaking tiredly, "I had never seen something like that before".

Vee rejected the tea with a wave of her hand, "I didn't even know there were curses able to do that. Make bones disappear, sure, but crushing them like that… It must have hurt her terribly".

"I bet it did", the older wizard nodded tersely.

"No one else was that badly damaged", she insisted, looking him directly in the eye. "Why her in the middle of an attack this big?".

Jones looked away from her, his mouth pursed in displeasure. "That's to the aurors to decide".

Vee felt her face burn with annoyance, "But…".

"I trust you know you confidentiality obligation, Healer Weasley", he gazed at the still open door, dismissing her, "Everything anyone is going to know about the victims of this attack is that they were not fatalities. At least until the Ministry decides something else".

xxx


	3. Chapter 3 Aftermaths

**-Almost twenty-five years after the end of the Second Wizarding War, Kingsley Shacklebolt's resignation as Ministry for Magic triggers a series of dangerous attacks that will entangle the lives of Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy in the most unexpected ways.-**

Although the story that follows features many characters, some places and a few spells of my own invention, I do not own Harry Potter or JK Rowling's wizarding world (if only).

I truly hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoy writing it, and that you feel encouraged to leave a few reviews.

 **CHAPTER THREE**

 **AFTERMATHS**

It took her dad three attempts in three different parking places before finally being able to correctly park their car. Rose nervously checked the clock set on the tower of the station.

"We are going to be late", she wailed as her dad mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like _"bloody muggle things"._

Next to him, Hermione shook her head at her daughter as she got Hugo's owl out of the car, "When have I ever let you be late for anything?".

The man exiting his car right next to them, wearing a suit and a tie and carrying a briefcase, looked oddly at their luggage. Inside his cage, Rose's cat, Mungo, hissed at him and he scurried away so fast he missed Rose's apologetic glance.

She turned her efforts to her family again, "Come on".

"Rosie, I love you", her father mumbled, finally shutting the car and walking towards the station dragging her trunk and Hugo's enormous school bag, "But if you complain one more time, I'm jinxing your mouth shut".

Starting to walk next to her, Hugo looked suddenly hopeful, "Please do".

As soon as their parents turned their backs on them, Rose smacked his brother on the back of his head. He tried to reach for her, but having to drag his trunk slowed him down enough for Rose to get out of the way before her could push her.

"I hate this", Hugo panted as they entered the station. Whether he was referring to the numerous groups of muggles getting in the way or to having to run across the hall to match their father's frenatic step, Rose didn't know.

She went through the barrier first, and was immediately welcomed by the smell of smoke.

Platform 9 and ¾ was a swarm of people calling to each other cheerfully and waving goodbye to the ones already on the train between the heavy fog.

A bittersweet feeling washed over her. Rose had always loved King's Cross on September first, but she suddenly felt the need of freeze it all, just for a second, so she could commit the whole image to memory and never let go of it.

The spell was broken when she noticed the increasing number of faces plastered to the windows, staring at her family. She wondered if they were trying to see Harry Potter or her own parents would do.

Next to her, Hermione turned her back on the train with practised ease, and to Rose's horror there were tears in her eyes.

"Mum…".

"I know, I know", she hugged her softly, voice muffled as she kissed her temple, "You have grown up too fast honey, I think I deserve a moment allowed to be an embarrassing mum, okay?".

"It just feels like the tears would be more appropriate at the graduation".

He mum sniffled a bit, but she didn't look about to cry any more. Ron placed his hand over his wife's shoulder and squeezed softly, Hermione's own hand flying to meet his in a gesture that was so natural, so tender, it made Rose feel like she should look away.

A streak of red caught her eye, and she squinted through the fog until she recognized the small figure of a woman not very far away, "I think I see Aunt Ginny".

Her father simply looked above all the heads surrounding them and nodded, "Yes, there she is".

Rose took a look at the clock, that informed her that she had still eight minutes before the train's departure. Enough time to say hello to her aunt. She dragged her trunk in her direction, calling her name once she reached her. Ginny, however, seemed not to hear her, staring at the Hogwarts Express without noticing her niece standing right besides her.

Rose touched her shoulder, "Aunt Ginny".

The older witch jumped at her touch, her right hand flying to her front pocket so fast it was clear she could take out her wand in seconds. As fast as if she had done it multiple times before.

"Good Gryffindor Rosie!", she exclaimed, moving both her hands to her chest, her beautiful face relaxing noticeably. "You scared me".

"Sorry, I…".

Ron stepped in front of Rose, effectively blocking her aunt from her sight for a second. "Hey Gin, everything al right?".

"Sure. It's just it's the first time Harry is not here to send off the kids". Ginny answered shaking her head as if trying to get rid of a bad thought, "Because apparently the Head of the Defence Department", she added sending a look at Hermione who smiled sympathetically back at her, "Can be late to work one morning, but he can not".

Rose didn't bother to point out she had barely seen her mother in the last week, as she was practically living at the Ministry since the attack.

"Albus and Lily are already on the train", her aunt carried on with a smile, "Al got an empty compartment. Apparently he scared off some second years when he stepped inside, being a seventh year already and all that".

"Can you believe they are graduating this year?", Ron said in wonder, winking at Rose, "You're about to get more education than I ever did".

Hermione, who had been in the middle of remembering Hugo for the hundredth time where his Quidditch supplies were, turned as if something had poked her in the back. "And whose fault is that, Ronald?", she hissed frowning, "I begged you and Harry, _begged Ron,_ to come back with me to finish our last year. But you didn't".

"Oh for Merlin's sake", said aunt Ginny, making the same face Ron did when he really wanted to swear but had to hold himself back. "Not the bickering again. It's like you two are still fifteen, honestly".

"Like you're one to talk". Muttered Ron under his breath, fortunately keeping his voice barely audible. Pissing off Aunt Ginny was never a good idea.

"We have to go", said Hugo, leaning to let Hermione kiss him on both cheeks.

"Have a wonderful year honey", she told him, trying to straighten the collar of his shirt.

"And maybe write once in awhile", Ron added, stepping past hermione to give Hugo a tight hug, "Try to remember you have parents and such, okay pal?".

"Yeah, Yeah". Hugo rolled his eyes. And with that he picked up his things and paused to kiss Ginny's cheek before striding up to a sandy-haired boy waiting by the train. Rose recognized Niall Finningan, who had player as a chaser for the Gryffindor team for the past two years and whose sister was good friends with Rose.

"Well", she said quite uncomfortable as Hermione embraced her with all her might.

"I'm so proud of you Rosie. You know that right?". Her mum was suddenly serious as she looked her in the eye.

Rose also straightened up, "Of course I know, mum".

"Good", she hugged her once more before looking over her shoulder at what Rose assumed was Hugo boarding the train, "Please don't let your brother lose another broom".

"I'll see what I can do", answered Rose, picking up Mungo's cage from the floor.

"Seriously though", Ron said against her head as he too hugged her tightly, "This one is a brand new firebolt, it costs more than he does".

"Ron!".

"What?".

But Rose was laughing as she returned her father's hug for a second before stepping back.

She hurried to the closest carriage, waiting by the window until the doors closed in front of her. She waved at her smiling parents, Aunt Ginny now standing a little further down the platform, probably saying goodbye to Al and Lily.

She still looked a little shaken, like she was still jumpy from Rose's little scare.

However, it was Ron who got Rose's attention as the Hogwarts Express began to move slowly. He was openly smiling at her, but his hand hovered over his wand pocket without him realizing. Almost as if a memory, a ghost, had guided it there.

Under her knitted cardigan, Rose shivered.

XXX

James Potter strode inside the Leaky Cauldron, immediately greeted by the familiar smell of butterbeer and homemade soup. Behind the bar, Rachel McMillan smiled politely and pointed to one of the few seats still vacant on the table.

James shook his head at her offer and headed for the back of the room, as it was usual this time of a Friday evening, every table was full of witches and wizards enjoining a drink or a meal after work. He stopped to greet several familiar faces, and Michael and Suzanne Gordon, who had been members of the Quidditch team James's first year, invited him to a firewhiskey.

"No thanks", he said, scanning the room, "I have someone meeting me at the back".

"Good luck with that mate", Michael grumbled. "The place is absolutely packed".

But a couple of tables further down, James had no trouble finding Julianna Rowle sipping a glass of something bright blue. She had not changed much in the year or so since he had last seen her, on their Hogwarts graduation, with her auburn hair pinned away from her face and the same polished, holier-than-thou, perfectly put together air about her.

It had always driven James up the wall.

He took the seat in front of her, "You wanted to see me?".

She looked relieved to see him, her posture relaxing a bit, but she spoke in a calm and detached tone, "Yes. Thank you. I thought you were not going to show up".

"I almost didn't", he said honestly. She nodded as if she could see exactly what he was thinking, "I don't know anyone else at auror training. You were my only choice"

James had figured that much. During their seven years at Hogwarts, they had barely even talked to each other except during Quidditch games, and then it was as rivals playing against each other. And then, this morning, there she was, waiting for him at his desk and asking to meet him after work. But in the end, that she had come looking for him meant that she was desperate. Which told James she had probably something worth hearing about.

"I need a favour".

James snorted and sent away the bartender coming to take his order, "Yeah, I figured that much, Rowle".

She blinked, looking away. Busying herself with her drink once more until the silence stretched uncomfortably long. He was about to get up and leave when she talked again. "I'm working as an assistant for The Prophet".

"Congratulations", James said dryly.

She shot him a nasty glare and straightened her back until she could look at him over her nose. He almost smiled.

"I got to interview some of the victims of the Ministry Attack last week", she said, and suddenly he was interested on whatever she had to say, "And one of them, a woman… she keeps saying she saw the attacker apparating herself out of the Ministry while the commotion started".

James shook his head, "You can't use Apparition inside the Ministry".

"I know, that's why the aurors who talked to her dismissed her. Told her she was confused, probably still in shock".

"But you believe her?". It didn't take an answer to figure it out, it was all in her eyes, in the sudden plea of her expression. She did believe the woman. Fuck.

"Look", James started, trying to be gentle for reasons beyond himself. "If the aurors cleared her…".

"I know, I tried convincing them to revise her statement, but they won't listen". She placed a small vial on the table, filled with silver threads glowing faintly.

"You took her memories?".

"Of course not!", Rowle scowled,looking somewhat offended by the suggestion. "She gave them to me. It's from the moment of the attack".

"And what do you, exactly, intend to do with it?".

She sent him a look that clearly said she thought he was an idiot, "Well I don't have a Pensieve, so there's no much I can do. That's why I need your help".

James blinked at her. Sure, for a moment, that he had heard her wrong. Because maybe he had never particularly liked Julianna Rowle, but she didn't look like an idiot. Or nuts, for that matter.

She squirmed under his gaze, taking a deep breath before looking him right in the eye i¡once more. "Look, maybe there's nothing here, I realize that. But maybe she saw something, I don't know. A portkey, a clue about the attacker or what route did she use to leave… Isn't that worth a shot?".

So he had heard her right. And the worst part, he thought, was realizing he believed she was right. But couldn't do anything about it.

"And what I am supposed to do in this plan of yours? Steal the Pensieve? Talk the aurors into your witness once more?". And as soon as the words were out, he knew that was exactly what she wanted him to do, "Are you insane? I'm just in training, I can't show up at the office and suggest their judgement was wrong".

"So you do think they were wrong", she said with a relieved smile.

It dimmed a bit when James shook his head. "Even if I did, which I'm not admitting to, no one would listen to me".

"Your father would listen, wouldn't he? And he can made the aurors use it".

James considered the vial in front of him for a moment. His father _would_ hear him, he realized, if James thought there was value, a clue, hidden inside the memory his dad would take out the Pensieve he kept in his office in a heartbeat.

But if the word got out he was discarding his aurors's judgment by using a woma they had already dismissed, and it turned out useless after all, the Department of Defence would masacre him without mercy.

He extended his palm, "I'll use it first, and if there's truly something of interest in it, I'll take to my father".

Rowle snatched the vial right out of his hand, clutching it to herself with a guarded expression. "What? No. We need a real auror".

James tried really hard not to snap at her, "Yes well, the real aurors are not going to help you, are they?".

She shook her head, but James noticed her grip on the vial relaxed a bit. He extended his hand towards it once again.

"I want to see it", she said suddenly, and James's hand froze in the air.

"What?".

"I want to see the memory when you do".

"Bloody hell Rowle, I can't snuck you into my father's office".

But the determined look on her face suggested he better find a way to do just that, if he wanted access to the memories himself.

When he stared at her without saying anything for a moment, she took a deep breath. And her big brown eyes softened. "Please", she said quietly, and she placed the vial on his hands, but didn't let go of it, "I need to know".

And before he could stop himself to ponder the situation, the agreement tumbled out James's mouth, "Fine".

He had never been good at thinking before acting anyway.

XXX

The prefect's carriage was bigger than every other one in the train, walls decorated with small banners from the fours houses mixed together in a rather flamboyant exhibition of the inter-house camaraderie expected of them.

Still, Scorpius strode to the furthest corner of the large table set in the middle of the compartment, where everyone seated displayed silver and green prefect badges.

Selene Zabini, the other seventh year Slytherin prefect, narrowed her dark eyes at him as he took the seat next to hers, "Where were you?".

"Lost track of time, sorry". In front of him, his cousin leaned over the table to hear his conversation, he turned to her, "What are you looking at?".

Helene stuck her tongue at him, "I thought maybe you had something interesting to say for once".

Scorpius grinned at her deadpan tone, she was definitely Aunt Daphne's daughter, "I can't believe they made you perfect. You are just going to scare the first years".

The corners of her mouth turned upwards, a worrisome smirk on her face. The boy sitting next to her, who Scorpius guessed was her fifth year partner, looked a bit uneasy.

Actually, Scorpius realized looking around, none of the other new perfects seemed in better condition than the boy. Except for, perhaps, Lily Potter, who was seating in the Gryffindor end of the table with her chin raised in a proud position.

The room quieted a bit as Potter strode in, followed by Rose Weasley. Scorpius watched as they made their way to the Gryffindor corner, sitting next to their siblings without making eye contact with anyone.

The room filled with whispers once again, and Scorpius could see the witch body tense up. She bit her lower lip so viciously it draw a bit of blood. Potter, on the other hand, sat relaxed and did a fairly successful show of ignoring the stares in his direction .

Next to Scorpius, Selene let out a heavy breath, "Weasley didn't get Head Girl? Call the papers, why don't you? The world has come to an end".

A week ago, Scorpius would have laughed at his friend's rather accurate comment, but now, starting to Rose Weasley's sad face, all he could think about was the kind expression on her eyes as she accepted his thanks for helping him out of the auror's interrogatory. And some sort of misplaced loyalty crept up his chest.

Selene shed him an estranged look, but finally lifted her shoulders and turned to the door, where finally the Head Boy and Girl appeared. "Is that Gracie Thomas?".

Indeed, it seemed like Ravenclaw's prefect Samuel Foster and Hufflepuff's Grace Thomas were in charge this year.,

She sent a tentative glance at Rose Weasley, as if she was expecting her to leap her and take the Head Girl badge by the force.

That, Scorpius couldn't help but think, he would definitely want to see.

Except Rose Weasley didn't look ready to attack anyone. In fact, he noted, she looked pale and shaky, and the bags under her eyes suggested she hadn't slept well last night.

"Well", Thomas trailed off in an animated voice, "Welcome to a new school year! As most of you know we are going to assign each of you a patrol partner…".

Suddenly, Rose Weasley turned sharply, staring directly at him. Grace Thomas's voice turned off in Scorpius mind, becoming a distant buzz.

For a split of a second, he thought Weasley was going to say something to him. He could practically see the wheels of her brain working full speed behind her eyes, the uneasiness of her gaze made him want to squirm. She wanted to talk about the attack. Of course she did.

He had been stupid enough to warn her when he heard the curse. Stupid enough to let her see he knew something. And because she had helped him that day Scorpius now owed her to answer her questions.

Merlin, he was an idiot.

But when she opened her mouth, she only did it to bit her lower lip again. Scorpius looked away.

Avoiding her wouldn't be all that hard, he supposed. After all, they had been doing it unintentionally during six years.

XXX


	4. Chapter 4 Entwined

**-Almost twenty-five years after the end of the Second Wizarding War, Kingsley Shacklebolt's resignation as Ministry for Magic triggers a series of dangerous attacks that will entangle the lives of Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy in the most unexpected ways.-**

Although the story that follows features many characters, some places and a few spells of my own invention, I do not own Harry Potter or JK Rowling's wizarding world (if only).

I truly hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoy writing it, and that you feel encouraged to leave a few reviews.

* * *

 **CHAPTER FOUR**

 **ENTWINED**

Once she made sure all the first years had gathered their schedules, Rose didn't have any trouble locating Albus. Even though he had sat in the exact same stop every day for the past six years, a few heads were still turned in his direction, curious looks asserting his face. The price of being a Potter, she supposed.

She fell into the seat next to his, an empty golden plate and matching goblet immediately appearing in front her. As she scanned the table, full of she suddenly regretted the two chocolate frogs she had eaten while getting dressed that morning.

She finally settled for a large piece of toast with pumpkin jelly, just as Brianna Finningan, a pretty girl with dark eyes who was one of Rose's roommates at Hogwarts, strode down the other side of the table and took the seat in front of hers.

"Morning", she said, raising her voice to be heard above the loud chatter that filled the Great Hall.

Rose smiled back at her, "Hi, you slept late".

During the past seven years, Brianna had spent her mornings acting as an alarm clock for her three roommates, including Rose. Even on weekends, she was usually up before breakfast was even served on the Great Hall, and she had grown accustomed to store various pies on her nightstand so she wouldn't starve while waiting for her friends to get ready in the mornings.

"I was up late unpacking last night". She shrugged, reaching for a mug of coffee.

Next to her, Al finally looked up from his conversation with Owen Thomas and Matt Anderson, nudging her ribcage to get her attention with an open smile, "So, finally beginning our seventh year. It came faster than we had expected, didn't it?".

"It certainly did", Eliza Wood answered, beaming as she took the sit next to Brianna and joined the conversation, "And after taken a look at my schedule I'm already regretting making it this far." she set said schedule on the table as if it had personally offended her, "Seriously, look at this thing".

Owen took a look and whistled in a low tone, "You're in over your head Wood. Drop some classes".

"Can't". Eliza shook her head and collected her schedule, shoving it inside her bag with force.

"Of course not. Oh Unespeakable One".

"That's Mrs Unespeakable to you".

"Sure", Owen agreed merrily, "In all honesty, I don't know whether to be excited or afraid of this year".

"Well, I, for one, am excited". Al told her with a note of pride in his voice.

From his other side, Lily snorted. Her long red hair dancing around her face as she leaned forward and made a face at his brother. "We already know you are Quidditch Captain, Al. I think everyone knows by now, the way you keep talking about it".

Owen coughed softly. And his cough sounded suspiciously like a snickered laugh.

Albus sent his sister a nasty glance, "Hilarious".

"He has a better shot at signing with a professional team if he's captain", Hugo chimed in, his face appearing further down the table, looking at Lily as if personally offended.

Rose suspected this had more to do with his plans of becoming the Gryffindor captain himself next year than with defending Al.

Lily returned an impressive glare of her own, "I realize that, Hugo", she said in an overly patient voice, "You know the person who won Gryffindor the Cup last year by catching the snitch was me, right?".

"We did not win because of you!", Hugo sputtered indignantly.

Rose didn't wait for the rest. She turned her back on them and motioned for her friends to do the same. "Just ignore them".

Eliza shook his head, "They are in charge of escorting the first years to their classes today, right? I pity the poor little ones already". To Rose, she added, "How are things with prefects this year, by the way? Found anything juicy?".

"Oh right", Mallory's smile faltered as she scanned Rose's robes, a look of disbelief clouding her features. "You didn't get Head Girl?".

Owen and Matt, who had been in the middle of discussing some Quidditch game they had both attended during the summer, gazed up at her with pity written all over their faces. It was the same expression her parents had worn when she received her Hogwarts letter, she realized, and Rose had to remind herself that she had not wanted the position in the first place.

"I didn't". She confirmed, clearing her throat and attempting a smile.

"Rose about the Head Girl thing...". Said Owen, and Rose was surprised when he sent her a guilty look. As if it was somehow his fault that it was his twin sister who had landed the position.

She raised her hands, "No, please. It's fine, really. Al got Quidditch Captain though".

"Brilliant", Niall Finnigan suddenly exclaimed, appearing behind them and ignoring her sister scoff as he clapped All in the back, "Congratulations mate".

Albus's ears turned pink, "Thanks. You still have to show up to tryouts, though".

"Tryouts for what?", Mallory Walker, the last of Rose's roommates, stepped next to the younger boy, black hair pulled up with the help of a quill.

"Quidditch", Al replied, eyeing the stack of book on the girl's arms with concern as they swaggered dangerously close to his head. "What's all this?".

"Oh, I found a couple of really good art books in the library".

"A couple" , Owen muttered.

Mallory ignored him, turning once again towards Albus with a speculative look, "They are saying the aurors are searching the houses of everyone who was at the Ministry Conference during the attack last week. Is it true?".

Rose heard a gasp, and it took her a second to realize it was her.

Eliza looked like she had swallowed a bug, herself, "Who said that?".

Mallory's face fell, her full mouth turning into a grimace, "Oh, I'm sorry. You were there when the attack happened, weren't you? I didn't realize, I just heard about it yesterday. I shouldn't have asked".

"It's quite alright, really". Rose usually forgot how different Mallory's life was, being the only muggleborn in their dorm.

It was quite strange to think the other girl had spent her last week of holidays in blissful ignorance while Rose had spent hers worrying every waking hour.

Their portion of the table became awkwardly quiet, and Rose realized all her friends were sending her curious looks, clearly wanting to hear about the attack too.

She looked away, mouth firmly shut.

And as if drawn by a magnet, her eyes found Scorpius Malfoy almost immediately, seating on the Slytherin table and listening to his housemates talk with a bored expression on his face. He only seemed to brighten slightly when Ivan Nott, who had been Rose's partner in potions last year, took the seat next to him. He even smiled at something the other boy said.

The smile changed his whole face, Rose thought, and suddenly it was hard to reconcile the boy she was seeing now with the one she had faced at the Ministry that day, with his tensed face and panicked eyes.

Rose had replayed that image thousands of times in her mind. Seemed unable to help herself, really. And every single one of those times, she couldn't shake the feeling that Scorpius Malfoy had recognized the curse when nobody else had.

XXX

Later that day, Rose found Hugo standing in the corridor with Alec Finnigan, both of them staring at the girl's bathrooms' door as if it would bite them if they got any closer.

Rose, who had been walking towards the Gryffindor Tower to leave her bag in her dorm before going to dinner, quickly changed directions and strode towards them.

"What are you doing?", she started to ask, already preparing a lecture in her head.

To her surprise, her brother looked positively relieved, and he motioned frantically for her to come closer. When she did, still suspicious, she heard a strangled sound that came from inside the bathroom and her thoughts took a complete different path.

"Rosie!", exclaimed Hugo in a whisper, "Thank Merlin you are here".

"Is someone crying?", Rose asked, and as if to assure her she had perfect hearing, a clear sob break through the door, "Who is in there?".

"Lily", Alec Finnigan replied, also keeping his voice down.

"Lily is _crying_?", Rose, on the other hand, all but shouted, and Hugo cringed at the tone of her voice before hushing her.

"No", he said.

"June Goldstein is", added Daren with an approving nod, as if that explained everything.

Fortunately, Hugo decided to keep talking, "They both had a huge row this morning, and then June fought with her boyfriend too, and she locked herself in here. When she didn't come out after the first twenty minutes, Lily went in". He shrugged, as though this were the most natural circumstances on earth, "They have been in there for hours".

"Hours?", Rose repeated, an unpleasant feeling appearing in her stomach, "And you just stood there waiting for me to appear and do something?".

Hugo looked at her affronted, "Of course not. We send Luce in a while ago".

"Our cousin Lucy?".

Rose adored her cousin, but everyone knew the girl was absolutely useless at solving fights. A pissed off Lily would eat Luce alive and still have room for June Goldstein, whoever she was.

"And you two just waited here?", she snapped at her brother and his friend.

Hugo looked at her the way their mum looked at her dad when he was being particularly obtuse. With a little bit of affection, and much more exasperation.

"It's the girls bathroom Rosie", he said in a tone that highly suggested she was an idiot.

Rose huffed loudly, and made a point of bumping him as she entered the bathroom.

She found Luce first, sitting on the floor against the door of one of the lavatories. To Rose's immense relief, she looked perfectly fine. And by the looks of it she was even consoling the girl seated next to her, as she wept quietly, head buried between her arms.

Lily was in front of them, leaning on a sink, and although she seemed to be paying attention to the girl on the floor, she kept knotting and unknotting her long red hair, like she did every time she was unable to focus. There was an ugly looking spot on her cheek, not quite a bruise yet, but clearly beginning to become one.

"What is happening here?", Rosie finally demanded, directing the question mostly at her cousin's, seeing that June Goldstein barely raised her head at the sound of her voice. To Lily she added, "And what the hell happened to your face?".

"June punched me," answered Lily, and before Rose could say anything she raised a hand to silence her, "Don't. I totally deserved it".

"Lily snogged June's boyfriend", said Lucy, and the girl next to her let out a whimper.

"You did what?".

Lily cringed, "I didn't know he had a girlfriend. I mean, _he_ kissed _me,_ so I just assumed he was single".

Rose was aware she was gaping like a fish. But she felt out of words, which was not a common occurrence.

Luce took over, "So this morning Lily found out about June, and she told her everything. And June punched her".

"It was worth it, though", her other cousin continued, and Rosie was surprised to see the happy glow dancing in her hazel eyes, "Because then she punched _and_ knelt the asshole where it hurts".

"It was beautiful", agreed Luce.

June Goldstein let out another muffled sound, but this time she finally raised her head. And Rose was surprised to see her shoulders were shaking with laughter, and not because she was crying.

"Oh Merlin", she said, blowing her nose. Despite the redness of her eyes and slightly swollen face, Rose noted she was a very pretty girl.

Luce grinned, "She talks".

"I had never hit anyone before", said June, and her eyes narrowed on Rose's prefect badge, "Am I getting a detention?".

"Of course not", Lily decided, nodding her head as if to agree with herself, "Rosie wouldn't do that".

June Goldstein still looked worried, but Rose shrugged in defeat.

"Wonderful", said Lily, her eyes brightened in excitement, "We should go to the kitchens and get some chocolate before dinner".

"Really? , Rose mumbled in exasperation.

"What?", and she composed an innocent expression that immediately reminded Rose of James, "It's not for me. June here just got her heart broken. She needs sweetness right now".

Luce nodded her head in agreement, and even June Goldstein looked up at Rose with a hopeful expression on her round face.

Rosie sighed in defeat, "Fine".

Lily clapped in delight, offering Luce a had to help her stand up. Rose crouched to help June pick up her books, that were splattered all over the floor.

As she grabbed the girl's Runes Dictionary (that looked as well-used as Rose's did), the paper under it got her attention. It was that morning's _Prophet,_ folded so the front page headline was perfectly visible.

 _LAST HOSPITALIZED VICTIM OF THE ATTACK, MINISTRY FOR MAGIC CANDIDATE ZELLER, DISCHARGED FROM ST. MUNGO'S._

Rose handed June Goldstein her books, but her eyes kept scanning the newspaper. There was a picture of Zeller right bellow. She looked calm, and even happy, as she waved at the reporters. But her caramel-colored skin was unusually pale and there was a badly concealed bruise on her left temple.

"You can have it" June said, bringing Rose back to reality "The Prophet, I mean. I'm subscribed, so I always read it during breakfast anyway".

Rose thought about her own issue of the paper, forgotten at the Gryffindor table that morning when a sixth year prefect had requested her to change his patrol schedule due to a reunion of the Duelling Club.

"Thanks".

Luce marched to the door, "Bye, Rosie".

"Take Hugo and Alec with you", she requested right before the door closed after the three girls.

Her eyes fell to the paper in her hands once more.

 _LAST HOSPITALIZED VICTIM OF THE ATTACK, MINISTRY FOR MAGIC CANDIDATE ZELLER, DISCHARGED FROM ST. MUNGO'S._

" _We were under the impression it was meant to kill"_ she remembered Auror Bones saying. But according to _The Prophet_ every victim from the Ministry attack had been cleared from the hospital within a week and a Rose Zeller, the most badly hurt, had only suffered through a lot few broken bones and minor head trauma

There was nothing about the curse anywhere. She had even used Al's invisibility cloak to snuck into the Forbidden Section and check several books, only to came out empty handed.

Rose folded the paper and stuck it inside her bag, leaving the bathroom, but as she came to the stairs, she wavered.

And then, she sharply turned around, marching down the stairs.

Towards the dungeons.

XXX

Scorpius Malfoy gripped his quill so hard his knuckles turned white.

He had been trying to finish his Potions' essay for the last twenty minutes, but his friends, who had turned down the radio's volume when he had asked a couple of minutes ago, were now singing The Weird Sister's latest hit at the top of their lungs, which was almost worse.

Elora Avery had even begun to clap with the beat, her long blonde hair swaying along with her hips.

Bronson Vaisey, one of Scorpius' roommates, followed her movements with a hungry look on his eyes. His expression soon became a sour grimace, however, when Elora grabbed Ivan Nott from his seat and forced him to dance with her.

Scorpius couldn't help but snort, Vaisey was one of his least favorite roommates.

The door of the common room opened, and Selene Zabini, his fellow seventh year Slytherin prefect, stepped through it. Elora waved at her, clearly wanting Selene to join the dance, but the other girl ignored her, choosing instead to walk towards Scorpius.

She stopped right in front of him, one of her eyebrows raised. Her black hair was in a tight ponytail and out of her face, which accentuated her somewhat exotic features.

"Weasley is outside", she announced, and Scorpius felt his stomach knot uncomfortably. "She says she wants to talk to you".

The others turned to look at him, wearing matching looks of curiosity.

"Which Weasley?" Scorpius asked, even though he already knew. He had managed to avoid her the whole day, figuring she wouldn't approach him during their classes, when he was always accompanied by someone. And he had been right, Weasley kept her distance, but he had caught her giving him curious looks more than once. Looks like said very clearly she wasn't planning on just letting things go.

"Rose".

Scorpius forced his face into a bored expression. "Must be something about the prefect's patrols".

Selene was still staring at him with narrowed eyes, "Well, why didn't she ask me then?".

"How should I know?", he finished his essay with a flourish, getting up and gathering his things, "Maybe it's about Quidditch schedules".

His roommates, apparently satisfied by the explanation, shrugged and turned back to the radio. But Selene exchanged a glance with Elora that spoke volumes in a language only females seemed to understand, and Scorpius got the uneasy feeling they did not believe him.

He found Rose Weasley outside the common room, leaning against the wall. She looked absolutely out of place under the dim light of the dungeon's corridor, whether it was because of the gold and maroon on her school robes, or simply because of her freckled skin and messy red hair, Scorpius could not tell.

"Weasley".

She straightened herself up, wrinkling her nose. She looked more disgusted with herself than with him when she answered. "I want your help".

"The curse they used, back at the Ministry. I can't find anything about it anywhere, but you knew it", she raised hand to stop Scorpius from interrupting her, "Don't even try to deny it. You warned me before everything exploded".

He _had_ warned her. And Scorpius had been cursing that moment ever since. Her whole family was involved in the investigation of the attack, and he, a Death Eater's son of all people, had been stupid enough to let her see he recognized one of the most ancient dark magic spells known.

"So, where did you read about it?". Rose Weasley was too curious for her own good, he thought.

Still, he was not going to let her win without a fight, "Who says I read about it anywhere?".

"Oh, so you just happened to overhear about a spell nobody else has heard of?", her mouth twisted in a sceptical expression and Scorpius wondered if she was always so expressive. Everything she was thinking was written all over her face.

He sighed, "In an old manuscript. It barely said anything but the way to cast it and the supposed effect".

Rose Weasley nodded, mulling over it for a few seconds before narrowing her eyes at him, "Did you explain the that to aurors?".

Scorpius stared at her in silence.

She sighed loudly, "I guess that's a no".

He kept his mouth shut, willing his face to stay blank, before finally speaking calmly, "Why are you here?".

"I just want to ask you some questions about the attack", she shrugged, keeping her voice down. "And then I won't Uncle Harry that you left things out during your interrogation".

Scorpius blinked.

"Are you threatening me?". He was unable to kept the disbelief from his voice.

"Blackmailing, actually".

She held her head high, and to his surprise Scorpius discovered he had to fight back a laugh. There was something remarkably amusing about Rose Weasley of all people, Gryffindor poster child and Hogwarts golden girl, acting almost cunningly.

"How Slytherin of you" he smirked, and she scoffed as if he had offended her.

He was not sure that had been his intention, or rather if he had meant it as a compliment.

"Fine. Ask".

His condescending tone clearly annoyed her, "I'll ask when I'm ready to ask".

Scorpius could feel the corners of his mouth twitching unintentionally upwards.

"Fine", Weasley snapped, glaring at him. "Why didn't the Scindo curse work at the Ministry?".

"I have no idea".

She didn't seem impressed with his answer, "Then take a guess".

For a moment, he was tempted to tell her where, exactly, she could shove all that attitude. But then he remembered who had the upper hand there and sighed.

"If whoever cast it was inexpert with dark magic...", he trailed off, but even as he said it he knew it wasn't the case.

The voice, cold and furious, had very clearly sounded too sure to belong to someone inexperienced.

Weasley was shaking her head vigorously, "No. That was not it".

Scorpius considered her. Most of his friends hadn't been in the Ministry when the attack happened and nobody they were close to had been injured, so when the novelty of it had drowned out, they had quickly gotten tired of talking about it. But Scorpius wasn't able to let it go.

Maybe because he felt guilty about knowing where to find out more about the curse, maybe because he had been there. Maybe because the aurors had treated his parents like they were the main suspects, even though they had been trying very carefully to do absolutely nothing wrong for as long as he could remember.

" _Stop obsessing over it"_ had quickly becomeIvan's standard answer for every time Scorpius tried to bring up the topic. Selene, who had always been far more blunt, usually told him very clearly to, _"stop being a pain in the ass and start sleeping, you look awful"_.

And here was Rose Weasley, with whom he had not interacted more than a couple of times in the sixth years he had known her, clearly as desperate for someone to talk to as he was.

"Something must have gone wrong", he said, and she listened attentively, "No one casts a curse meant to kill if the finality is not killing".

She nodded, "I don't think it's possible to control the spell just so it causes the minimum damage".

Weasley took something out of her school bag and handed it to him. It was that morning's _Daily Prophet_ , which he had already read.

"You said that the _Scindo_ was meant to kill, but this is the worse it did", she tapped the picture with her finger, and the people on it scoffed in protest.

The back of her hand was covered in freckles, Scorpius noted, so light you would had to be really close to notice them. For some reason, they made him wonder if every other patch of her skin had freckles, too.

Clearly his lack of sleep was affecting him more than he realized.

"So", Weasley continued, her hand disappearing from Scorpius' line of sight. "What happened?".

"I've been thinking it was just the dissemination of the spell", he had read just about every DADA book in the castle, and it was the only explanation that made sense, "The more people you use any spell against, the weaker it becomes".

Rose Weasley nodded in realization, "Of course. You'd have to be extremely powerful and extremely gifted to be able to use an advanced curse on even three people at once".

"Exactly".

She went quiet, and Scorpius could practically imagine her brain working at a fleeting speed behind her eyes, "So why risk it?"

"What?".

"Performing a curse intended to kill at one of the most secure places in England, where you know there's a high chance of being caught, when you are not going to actually kill anyone. Why risk yourself like that?", she talked so quick she was practically panting by the end of it.

It was a very good question, Scorpius mulled. Why do it, indeed? The only thing the woman had accomplished was hundreds of headlines in various papers.

And frightening the highest charges of the country.

He looked up at the girl in front of him, she was clearly lost in thought but immediately paid attention to him when he cleared his throat.

"To gain attention. To make people scared of what might come next", and as the words left his mouth, he knew them to be the truth.

Rose Weasley realized it too, he knew, and she went pale under her freckles.

Her next words sent a horrible chill down Scorpius' spine. "She wanted a show".

xxx

"Took you long enough. I was about to go looking for you".

Rose took a look at Albus, slouched on his seat of the Gryffindor table eating a giant piece of pumpkin pie, and seriously doubted his words.

"I had to talk to Malfoy". She said, as nonchalantly as she could.

Unfortunately, no Weasley had ever been known for his nonchalance (not even one), and Rose was no exception. Her voice sounded strange to her own ears, heavy with emotions she was sure included discomfort and worry and maybe even a bit of fear, too laced together to perceive each of them.

Even Eliza, seated in front of them, looked at her worriedly. "Is everything okay? You look a bit shaken"

Al frowned, scanning the Slytherin table, no doubt in search of Malfoy, "What did he want?".

For a moment, she considered telling him everything. She had never kept anything from Albus, they had been best friends since they were born and he had always been good at keeping her secrets.

"Nothing", she finally replied, and this time it sounded almost like her normal self. "We were just talking about patrols and the Prefect's meeting".

Al seemed to believe her without further thought, and it only made her feel guiltier about not telling him. But Eliza was still listening to them and she needed time to made up her mind about what to do with all the information she had gathered.

And, in a way, it felt like this secret didn't belong to her, but to her and Malfoy.

A knowledge none of them wanted, connecting them in an entwined, shadowy knot.

xxx


End file.
